


Turnabout Destiny

by prototyping



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Canon, Family, Family Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Platonic Relationships, What-If, genfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-21
Updated: 2016-05-21
Packaged: 2018-06-09 21:49:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6924748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prototyping/pseuds/prototyping
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Xehanort had abandoned Ventus on Destiny Islands as intended, unaware that he still lived? And what if a certain couple in that world took the boy in around the same time that their first son was born? Canon AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Turnabout Destiny

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt fill, kind of, for my sis who kindly gave me the plotline to use as I saw fit. I’m assuming in this AU that Vanitas lacks the ability (or loyalty to Xehanort, you can decide) to detect and report Ven’s location. In short, insert a reason for Xehanort to be oblivious to Ven’s survival. AND HOW DO YOU WRITE SMALL CHILDREN?? I JUST DON’T KNOW. I TRIED

The sky was the same as it was every other night.

As the sun descended slowly over the rippling horizon, a handful of stars started to twinkle into view; by the time streaks of deep orange and navy touched the sky, the vast expanse was already covered in tiny, distant lights. Familiar patterns began to take form, reflected in the ocean’s bright surface.

Ventus knew what to look for. Many times, much like today, he’d stretched out on the warm shore to watch the stars fade in and the moon slide into the sun’s position. Despite the bundle of energy that he usually was at any given moment, he always felt a certain calmness settle into him at dusk, a kind of peaceful satisfaction that left him content to lie still and quiet and observe the slow transition from day to night.

With his arms beneath his head he closed his eyes, taking in the familiar sound of waves and gull cries, the smell of saltwater, the feel of the warm breeze. They were intimately familiar -- they were all he’d ever known -- but he never failed to really appreciate them when this time of day rolled around. It was relaxing, quiet, and peaceful.

Usually, anyway.

Without warning a weight dropped onto his stomach, jerking him from his light doze with a grunt. _“Hey--!”_

He was answered by a high giggle as he opened his eyes. “C’mon, Ven! You can sleep at home!” Sitting on his chest was a small boy -- a _tiny_ one, really -- with a grin almost too big for his round face. “C’mon, c’mon! Let’s fight one more time! Please!”

Ven stretched as he sat up, the movement dropping the boy into his lap. “Haven’t you been racing all day?”

“Yeah! It’s practice to get faster!”

Ven couldn’t help a soft snort. He knew better than to argue with a four-year-old’s logic most of the time. “You know you gotta be at your best to take me on, though! You sure you’re not tired?”

“Nope!” As if to prove it, the boy jumped up to stand astride Ven’s knees. “I’m ready! Let’s go!” He pumped his small fists in the air over his head. “You’re gonna lose this time!”

“Heh.” Climbing to his feet, Ven ruffled the kid’s brown spikes affectionately. “Alright, Sora. But we agreed, just _one_ , okay? You know Mom and Dad want us back by dark.”

Sora’s attention stopped at _All right_. He threw his hands in the air again with a victorious “Woooooo!” as he charged back up the beach. Ven followed at a slower pace, taking the time to dust the sand off his pants. Seconds later Sora came running back, this time with two toy swords in hand and another boy at his side.

“You be ref’ree, Riku!” Sora announced, passing one of the wooden props to Ven. “You gotta keep telling us who’s winning! And don’t let anybody cheat!”

“Ven doesn’t _need_ to cheat,” Riku pointed out with a smile that definitely bordered on smug. “I just gotta watch you.”

Sora stuck his tongue out, but a heartbeat later broke into another grin as he faced his older brother. The sword was a bit too small for Ven, practically speaking, but for playing around it served its purpose well. The dents and nicks along the “blade” were familiar and hard-earned, evidence of both Sora’s and Riku’s progress.

Ever since Ven had shown an impressive talent for pseudo-swordplay -- a skill he could only assume was natural -- a practice lesson (or three) had been demanded with every trip out to the island. He didn’t mind pulling his punches for their sake, but on occasion he felt the urge to fight somebody -- or something -- for real. Not to hurt anybody, but just to see what he could _really_ do if he tried…

But it was a moot point. The only other teenagers in this small world were a couple of girls who had no interest in that kind of thing, and grown-ups always had something better to do than pick up something as silly as swordplay. Thus Ven was fated to play-acting with a couple of toddlers, but they were a couple of toddlers who meant the world to him. There was nothing obligatory about it.

Giving the sword a quick practice twirl in his fingers, Ven shifted his stance as though regarding this mock-battle with the most serious of utmost attentions. “Okay! Bring it on!”

Sora threw himself forward. Ven blocked easily, barely feeling the impact of his brother’s negligible weight as their weapons clashed. The routine was very much the same as usual, with Sora mostly on the offensive while Riku cheered (sometimes teased) him on. Ven offered pointers between quick parries, his poise casual and relaxed compared to the all that Sora was giving.

After a couple minutes of this, and then seeing that Sora was wearing down, Ven loosened his grip until he was only just holding on to his sword. When Sora’s next swing landed, Ven’s prop went flying to the side. Without missing a beat, Sora pointed his blade two-handed at Ven’s stomach and proclaimed, “Ha! You’re dead!”

Staggering back, Ven clutched his middle as though deeply wounded. “ _Ugh!_ You got me!” he cried, and fell backwards to collapse in a dramatic heap on the sand. “Well-played!” Sora jumped on him with a triumphant shriek that quickly devolved into laughter -- while his hands attacked Ven’s sides, making him drop the death act in a heartbeat. “H-hey -- _hey!_ No tickling! That’s cheating!”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Riku! Call it! Tell him he’s chea--” Any hopes of finding justice were dashed as Riku joined the fray, but on Sora’s side. All three boys burst out laughing, the younger two appearing to successfully out-muscle their senior playmate.

* * *

“On your mark… get set… go!” Ven announced. Sora and Riku bolted from the starting line that had been etched into the sand, leaping up onto the pier and racing towards the treehouse. Ven watched them go with a smile, not surprised to see Riku quickly pull ahead.

He remained by the shore, double-checking that the boat was ready to go. They still had about half an hour until total darkness, but he knew his mom worried if they were caught over water when the sun set. Sora and Riku had decided to turn the retrieval of their backpacks into a competition, so Ven killed time by studying the stars again, tapping his heel against the dock in some random rhythm.

When his neck began to cramp, he glanced down the beach again with a yawn, past the stretch of white shore to the small plateau of bent trees--

\--and went still. He blinked a couple times, thinking maybe the dim light was playing tricks on him -- and then he considered that the boys had already made their lap around the island, but that was unlikely. Dropping off the dock and onto the sand, he took a few curious steps forward, but the object of his focus remained in place. He took another step, a few more, and then finally fell into a walk.

Because among the grove of palm trees was a shape, a person’s shape, the figure of somebody sitting on the sideways trunk. He or she was facing the ocean and didn’t seem to have noticed him. With a curious frown Ven altered his trek to the left, taking him up onto the walkway and behind the mysterious figure. He didn’t try to sneak, necessarily, but his footsteps didn’t strike the wooden planks as loudly as usual.

He stopped a few yards behind the person, now positive that it wasn’t Sora or Riku -- or anybody from the island that he recognized. It was definitely a girl, and while her height was difficult to gauge while she was sitting, he could still tell that she was thin, delicate looking, and guessed that she was maybe around his own age. Short hair, a striking color of blue, clustered neatly around her neck.

Ven finally spoke up. “Who’re you?”

The girl’s spine immediately straightened as she broke from her thoughts, twisting in her seat to look at him.

His first thought was that she was pretty. Bright blue eyes matched her hair, which draped either side of her face in a way that made her look older than Ven had initially guessed.

His second thought was that she looked sad. In the second before she smiled, those gentle eyes looked distant, full of uncertainty and… regret, maybe? But then a warmer expression took over, and it was easy to think he’d imagined the previous one.

“Hi. I’m Aqua.” She had a soft voice, not too quiet or too loud. Apologetically, she added, “I didn’t mean to intrude.”

That easy greeting was all the convincing Ven needed. He approached with a shake of his head, returning the smile. “You didn’t. I’m just not used to seeing new faces.” He moved around the tree to stand beside her, having to tilt his head back to look up at her properly. Her clothes were unusual, looking like something worn by a heroine in an adventure book. His eyes were quickly drawn to the symbol on her chest, a pointed sigil wrought from some kind of metal. “Where’d you come from?”

Aqua’s gaze and smile faltered. “I…” That hung heavy in the air for a long moment before she looked at him again -- and then her eyes suddenly widened, her uncertain expression shifting into a full stare. Ven held it, although it made him feel uneasy.

“What?” he asked.

Her lips parted, but a second later she pressed them together again and shook her head once. A small, almost secretive smile stole across her face. “...Nothing, I’m sorry. I just thought -- something about you feels… familiar.”

Cocking a puzzled eyebrow, Ven tilted his head. “Huh? Have we met before?”

Aqua gave a soft laugh. “No, I’m pretty sure I’d remember you.” Her smile widened into one more casual. “What’s your name?”

Despite his confusion at her appearance, Ven found himself trusting that gentle demeanor in a heartbeat. She certainly seemed kind and honest enough, and at this distance he thought there was something… else about her. Not something he could see in her face or hear in her voice, but a -- feeling, almost, a kind of warmth that radiated from her, except he felt it on the inside rather than out, as though the evening sun had passed straight through his skin to settle comfortably on his heart.

A weird feeling, definitely, but not a bad one. On the contrary, it did away with any lingering uncertainty. It made him want to trust her.

“Ventus,” he replied cheerfully. “Everybody just calls me Ven.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Ven.” She glanced over her shoulder and Ven followed her gaze, realizing she was watching where Sora and Riku had disappeared further up the beach. “Are you friends with those boys?”

He beamed and nodded. “Uh-huh. Sora’s my brother. Riku’s a friend of ours.”

At the word _brother_ , Aqua turned back to him in a look of mild surprise. Then she chuckled. “You know, now that you mention it, I see the resemblance.”

He linked his hands behind his head, lips twisting in a slightly self-conscious pout. “That’s what everybody says. It’s our eyes, right?”

“That’s part of it. But even from here, I could tell there was something special between you two.”

Ven made a perplexed noise. That kind of thing was something you could see? Before he could ask, he caught a glint of light between Aqua’s fingers. Looking closer, he realized her hands were folded around something in her lap. “What’s that?”

Her eyes also turned to the “that” in question. Ven noticed that they softened slightly, her smile shrinking until it was almost gone. “...It’s a promise,” she replied distractedly. “One I made with a friend.”

“A promise?”

Aqua nodded with a hum. “Mm-hm. To remain friends, always. To never let anything come between us.” Despite the solemn air around her now, there was still some warmth and fondness in her voice. Unthreading her fingers, she tilted the object forward for him to see: a five-pointed star made from what looked like blue glass. It had an almost musical jingle to it as it moved, and he thought the color matched her eyes perfectly. In the middle of the star was a replica of that strange symbol.

“It’s pretty,” Ven complimented. It sort of resembled-- “Oh! Hey!” Swiveling on a heel, he indicated the top of the nearest tree where several star-shaped fruit were beginning to ripen. “It looks a lot like a paopu fruit!”

Aqua’s smile all but glowed. “I’m glad you think so. That’s what I was going for.”

“Whoa, you mean you _made_ that?”

“Two,” she corrected. “One for my friend, too. If you carry good luck charms like this, you can always find each other again, right?”

“Right!” Ven knew the lore as well as anybody. “He sounds like a really good friend,” he mused.

“He is. My best friend.”

“So where is he now?”

Aqua hesitated for so long that Ven started to think she hadn’t heard him. At last, she shook her head slowly. “I’m not sure.”

Ven frowned. “Is he lost?”

“No. Well--” She bit the inside of her lip. “No,” she repeated. “I just… We just disagreed on some things, the last time we saw each other.”

The euphemism was an obvious one. “Oh. You mean you had a fight?”

She stole an uncertain glimpse at him. Ven recognized it as the kind of look his mom sometimes gave when trying to explain something difficult. “...Something like that,” she admitted after a moment.

“Hm… Well, I’m sure it’ll be okay,” he offered brightly. “Friends and even family get mad at each other sometimes. It happens.” He’d seen it occur between others more than it involved himself, although even he could get grumpy from time to time. “Besides, if you made a promise that important -- especially with a lucky charm -- I don’t think you two can stay apart for long.”

Tilting her head, Aqua seemed surprised at the sentiment, or perhaps at his confidence. “You really think that?”

“Sure do!” Ven nodded emphatically. “It’s like me ‘n Sora. We get on each other’s nerves sometimes, but not for long. And I never forget what really matters.”

“And what’s that?”

“That we’re supposed to look out for each other. He’s still too small for that just yet, but it just means I have to work twice as hard until he’s bigger.” His arms dropped back to his sides as he grinned up at her. “I’ll keep him safe for as long as that takes. Forever, if I have to.”

For the second time Aqua stared at him, looking stunned. Then she closed her eyes with a low exhale of a laugh, and after a moment spoke in a voice almost too quiet to hear. “I think I understand now... Why you were chosen.”

“Huh? Chosen?”

Rather than answering, Aqua slipped off the tree trunk and landed nimbly on her feet. She was at least a head taller than he was and had to lean over to put herself at eye level with him, placing a light hand on his shoulder. “Can I ask a favor, Ven?”

“Uh… sure.”

“What you just told me, about looking out for one another? Don’t ever forget that. You have a big destiny waiting for you, and as long as you follow your heart, the bonds you have will always keep you on the right path. Even when things look dark.”

Ven didn’t really understand all that, but he got the gist of what she was saying: remember what mattered. And that, he was certain, he would always do. “Okay. It’s a promise.”

Aqua hummed cheerfully, ruffling his hair and earning a laugh out of him as she straightened up again. “I’m glad to hear that.” Her charm jingled as she tucked it away, and then for a moment the two of them regarded one another in thoughtful silence. “...Ven,” she started slowly, “this might be a strange question, but have you ever--”

“Hey, no fair! I slipped!”

“That's _your_ fault, Sora!”

Aqua and Ven turned their heads as the two younger boys came running around the corner. Riku was in the lead, and he dashed across the boardwalk and past the two teens to tag the farthest tree, did a quick one-eighty, and ran by them again. Sora followed more slowly seconds later, panting more heavily. They watched as he also tapped the waymarker, but on the way back he only made it as far as where Ven stood, where he promptly face-planted against his brother’s thigh and leaned against him.

Ven shot him a sympathetic look. “Tired after all, huh?”

“No,” Sora mumbled defiantly against his leg. “I’m jus’...” Ven caught him under the arms and hoisted him up, settling Sora on his hip to hold him as he turned back to Aqua. She smiled at them both.

“You know, even champions need their rest, Sora,” she advised. “That’s a trick to getting stronger, actually: balancing exercise with enough rest.”

“Really?”

“Mm.” She nodded. “Why don’t you let your brother take you home so you can start on that? Just make sure you sleep whenever you feel tired; no staying up too late, okay?”

“ ‘Kay! C’mon, Ven! We gotta rest some more so we can be champions!”

Ven figured their mom would be glad for this change of heart, since Sora was often still a bundle of energy when bedtime rolled around. “All right! Hang on!” He stepped off the platform to drop the dozen feet to the ground, making Sora cheer, and then looked back up at their visitor. “Are you leaving?”

Aqua’s smile turned a little wistful, but she nodded. “Yes. I have a lot to do.”

“That’s too bad.” Ven meant it. Still, he perked up and added, “Well, hey, come back anytime! And bring your friend with you next time. I know you’ll find him.”

Her expression softened even more, if possible. “I’d like that. Thanks, Ven.”

Riku was waiting by the pier. He peered around Ven when he approached. “Who was that?”

Setting Sora on his feet, Ven hopped into the boat first. When he looked back at where Aqua had been, he saw that she was already gone. It probably should have surprised him more than it did. He held out his hands to help the boys down as he replied contentedly,

“A new friend.”

~

_There is always sleep between part and meet  
with our usual words on the usual street._

_So let us part like we always do..._  
_And in a world without you_  
_I'll dream of you._

_When I come to, let us meet  
with our usual words on the usual street._


End file.
